Balanced News: China’s military carries out year’s first live-fire drill around Taiwan

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army launched its first joint combat drills in 2023 around Taiwan, a move Taiwan’s defense ministry called “irrational and provocative.” The previous “joint combat-readiness security patrol and joint firepower striking exercise” was conducted by the same Command on Christmas Day. Analysts say the latest military exercises may not necessarily target Taiwan but “external forces” such as the United States and Japan.